These words typically follow the following choices: single, married, divorced and never married. We will pursue these words, and their elusive meaning, to uncover another aspect of our Modern Age.These questions are frequently found on dating sites and could be reduced to “single” or “married”.The questions of “Why is it complicated?” and “Why are things complicated?” will help guide us. Could these questions be answered by “I am in a relationship, but I want to see other people.” or “I have no intention of being monogamous.” or “I am interested in someone, but they do not have any romantic interest in me so I'm hoping they will come to their senses.”? If so, then the following will provide an illuminating response to these statements.

Ultimately, the people in our example have no clear idea of what they want nor how to obtain it. The path that they took to reach this no man's land is that they have not set standards for themselves. Once they reach this “destination” of no standards, everything becomes “complicated”, as it should. Because they have no clear vision, goal or morality, the world is no longer black and white, as it is to people who possess clarity, but 50 shades of gray. They struggle to justify their feelings, beliefs and actions, because on some level, they know them to be indefensible.

These people, who hold to the belief that everything is complicated, find the world they live in to be chaotic, to say the least. I distinctly remember a person telling me that I was cold and calculating. I was stunned by this off handed comment, but thanks to “Atlas Shrugged”, I know that I am not alone. I also know that this person was guided by feelings only, with no basis in reality. For the record this person only spoke with me a few times previous to this revelation, so it is unlikely they would have any insight into my thoughts, only my behavior that was analyzed through the prism that is emotion. This example is typical of people who are not aware of their motivations. The unexamined life is not worth living.

Personally, I prefer simplicity to over complication.

The clue that things are complicated is that the problem has not been reduced to the issue at hand by eliminating superfluous feelings and extraneous facts. Of course, in order to determine what information and facts are not important. In order to do this pruning, one must have a hierarchy of values. The cold and calculating person must have values to understand, and not to justify, his actions. If one does not have the moral fortitude to say “this is urgent” and “this is important” and “this is unimportant” (UIU), then things are truly complicated beyond all necessity (c-ban or fubar).

If one does not have a system of morality, how does one acquire one? That, gentle reader, is beyond my experience or insight. I have never had a difficulty in determining “Urgent, import or unimportant.”, because I have always been aware. Aware of my thoughts. Aware of my motivation for actions and aware of my environment. Not everyone demonstrates these attributes, but have these attributes none the less. If the ability to determine UIU is seen as cold and calculating, then people in positions of power (management, science, and politics) are guilty as charged of being cold and calculating.

Does it, gentle reader, strike you as odd or paradoxical that someone who is a self proclaimed occultist, who has been described by some people as a Satanist and Devil Worshiper and practitioner of the Black Arts, demands that people have morality to successfully function in society?

Another hallmark of this group of people is patience. Patience, because they know everything will change, given enough time, and opportunity will be available either for a promotion , more funding or higher office. People outside of these positions will say that our group of management, scientists and politicians are heartless, cruel, opportunists, manipulative, inscrutable and all the foulest innuendos one has ever heard.

This is the unaware view of the many of the few is a constant of human society. This universal view is found in every city and could be named “The Second Law of the City”. (“The First Law of the City” is that all cities are founded upon a crime. The implication is that all civilizations are built on criminal activity.)

Is it really complicated? Yes and No. Yes to the majority of people and No to the few. Additionally, I check “single” on the questionnaires, unless “celibate” is an option.

Graham

5/10/2013 10:45:03 am

I try to be aware. This was good, had to read a few times.. just wanted to make sure I understood and also my daughter is very distracting!